Q&A: UUA Moderator Candidate Natasha Walker

Your name and current UUA affiliation

Natasha Walker

Your membership in a congregation, if any.

Member of First Unitarian Church of Chicago

• Choir, 2021–2024
• Interiors Committee, 2023–2024
• Ministerial Search Committee, 2022–2023

Beloved of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism

• Past UUA positions/leadership experience/affiliation
• Developmental Board Chair for Black Lives of UU (BLUU), 2022–present

Why did you decide to run for UUA moderator?

I was raised to believe that if you think something could be better that you should jump in to help rather than sit back and complain. There is so much going right with UU—and there are ways we can be more efficient, more effective, and more inclusive. To be clear, I don’t have a grandiose vision for crafting the new strategy of what the UUA should be doing, and I don’t think that is the remit of this role. I believe this role supports the HOW, where the Board of Trustees drive the WHAT, and the president centers the WHY. It is a mutually beneficial partnership by design.

What qualities do you believe you bring that are important for moderator?

I think I am uniquely suited to navigate the complexities of the moderator role, at this time. I have outstanding time management and expert prioritization skills. I’m well versed at influencing without authority (from my kids to fellow congregants to executives). I am experienced at navigating ambiguity and holding space for conflict with neutrality. The attributes I bring to the role include:

Task - I have an MBA and work in strategic consulting. I think in a highly structured way and am able to chunk up large- scale and systemic problems into manageable pieces. I am creative and take initiative when something needs to be done. I am also resourceful and do not want to be the bottleneck to getting work done.

Process - As an engineer, I am an expert at designing efficient approaches that consider multiple constraints. I enjoy thinking through how things will operate and anticipate ways that things can go awry so that we can stay ahead of negative consequences. I am not big on taking credit and generally want to use the right expertise to get the work done. I have little tolerance for political posturing and ego stroking as an obstacle to progress.

Relational - I am an empath, without being overly emotional or sensitive, and an expert observer. I am blunt and straightforward without being aggressive or unkind. I value feedback and think a key foundation for a highly functioning team is psychological safety, which comes from honesty and authenticity. Being able to bring all of yourself to organizational contexts depends on our collective openness to being honest. I strive to model this approach in most interactions.

Did I mention I love frameworks?

What are your priorities/goals for the position, should you be elected?

I have found UUs love to dwell in thinking and discussion and need purposeful nudges to act. This is typically achieved through urgency and results in making the entire organization reactionary, prioritizing the thing we’re most worried about breaking next. At its heart, this is a program management position, requiring a skillset that I possess and a temperament to remain steady and focused on the long term. There are numerous distractions and concerns requiring attention. Being able to discern which things need the board’s attention (tied to larger organizational goals) and which can wait or be delegated is central to maximizing the value of this role. Balancing strategic and operational work is challenging for every organization. Adding deeply held perspectives and the pressure to model perfect UU-ism just complicates things. However, these are not unique challenges, and there are established ways to navigate in alignment with our shared values.

What are the biggest challenges facing Unitarian Universalism at this time, and how can the faith best respond to them?

In the quick-changing spiritual landscape, UU as a faith has to evolve in both methods and communications. UU is facing modern challenges and needs to evolve strategy and approaches to meet this moment. I think I can bring innovative thinking and useful structure and rigor to decision making and approach. It is all the more important that we model radical transparency and leading from love, even as we navigate dichotomies of belief, identity, and path of evolution. We have so many talents that we have yet to tap, and our youth are motivated and ready to bring energy and innovation if we make space and solicit their ideas.

Any other major points or issues you would like to emphasize about your candidacy?

I know that the moderator role has most recently been fulfilled by teams of co-moderators, and it is a fair question to wonder why I have elected not to do so. Practically, though there is some efficiency in having two people to manage the workload, I find it rare that that efficiency negates the added time and effort to stay coordinated and aligned. It can be confusing for stakeholders and create duplication of effort. I’d like to take on redesigning the role to account for the modern realities of our structure to better understand whether we would benefit from a different approach.